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Brady Wells did not come this far to finish second-best. The Campbell County senior is in it to win it at this weekend’s Region 6 wrestling championships and beyond.

“I’m 100 percent ready to go,” Wells said. “The region matters. The state tournament is when it really matters.”

Campbell County and 11 other teams hit the mats Friday and Saturday at Dixie Heights for local bragging rights. The Camels are in search of a sixth consecutive regional championship. Friday’s opening round gets underway at 6 p.m. Saturday’s action starts at 10 a.m. The finals are 2 p.m. Saturday.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class advance from each region to seeded slots in the KHSAA State Wrestling Championships Feb. 17-18 at Alltech Arena at Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park.

Wells has finished regional runner-up two years in a row, first at 113 pounds as a sophomore, then at 120 pounds as a junior. He won the region at 106 pounds when he was a freshman. He remains at 120 for his final regional appearance after taking the 126-pound title at the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference championships. The veteran is No. 1 at 120 pounds in the kentuckywrestling.com statewide rankings.

“He’s staying at 120 and I expect him to do well,” coach Mike Bankemper said of one of Kentucky’s toughest weight divisions, where as many as six wrestlers can boast strong state title prospects.

There are significant challenges closer to home that need to be met before Campbell County ventures back to Lexington. It will take all that Wells and his talented Camels teammates can muster to win the region.

“We have to beat guys we lost to earlier in the season,” Wells said.

Threats are coming from all sides, chief among them Walton-Verona and its 120-pound warrior, Blake Roth, ranked fifth in the state. Walton-Verona is third in the statewide team rankings. There’s also sixth-ranked Simon Kenton and its defending regional and state champion Casey Cornett, Kentucky’s No. 1 at 170 pounds.

Also in the running are 15th-ranked Scott, 19th-ranked Dixie Heights and former champion Ryle. Campbell County, ranked 16th, finished behind all of them in fifth place at conference. Cooper, ranked 22nd statewide, was nipping at the Camels’ heels, six points behind in sixth. Just 32 points separated first and sixth among teams at the NKAC meet.

“It will be extremely tough to defend,” said Bankemper, seeking his 20th regional title at Campbell County. “Simon Kenton is solid. Walton-Verona is tough as well. We’re going to have a rough road. We’ve got to pull some upsets.”

The Camels are looking to score big with Wells (42-3) and Tanner Yenter (38-5), last year’s regional and state champion at 113 pounds. Yenter is now at 126 where he’s ranked second in the state behind Walton-Verona’s Ryan Moore.

Other top Camels regional contenders include a pair of conference runners-up, Thomas Ketchen-Carter and Collin Barrett. Brian Holden, Cody Orth and Brett Hofstetter were third at conference. Ronnie Shackleford was fourth. Bryan Howell and Joseph Wilbur both have more than 20 wins. Holden is ranked 19th in the state at 138 pounds. Howell is 20th at 145.